Nick Jensen appreciation

Can we talk about how well Nick Jensen has been playing vs tough opponents? I personally think he’s been our best defender and second best dman to Green overall. I would like to resign him to a 3 year deal and I think he could get north of $3m

A month of good play doesn’t qualify a large raise like that. I prefer we move on from Jensen.

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So we move on with him and bring who in? Sulak sucks, Hicketts gets overpowered in the D zone, Saarijarvi isn’t ready, anyone we get in FA would be a overpayment on salary and years. I think Jensen has turned into a legit top 4 guy.

So we move on with him and bring who in? Sulak sucks, Hicketts gets overpowered in the D zone, Saarijarvi isn’t ready, anyone we get in FA would be a overpayment on salary and years. I think Jensen has turned into a legit top 4 guy.

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No Jensen is playing in a top 4 spot on the worse defense in all of the nhl. He would not be in the top 4 of any other team in the league. He wouldn’t crack the top 6 of most teams in the league.

No Jensen is playing in a top 4 spot on the worse defense in all of the nhl. He would not be in the top 4 of any other team in the league. He wouldn’t crack the top 6 of most teams in the league.

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He’s playing on the first pair against other teams top players. Hes done well defending and when he gets the puck he doesn’t force plays, he will use his skating to buy himself more time and prevent turnovers. I disagree about him not cracking the top 6 of most teams, I think he’s proven enough to be considered a top 4 guy in the league. He may not have the offense, but he sure does a good job defending.

Re-signing a guy to a bloated contract based on a small sample is what we did with Abby. Re-signing a guy “because he’s the best we got” is what we did with Dekeyser. Neither have those things have played out too well.

So let’s pump the breaks with that. If he wants to stay around for a hometown discount (since we let him stay around and develop til he was 26), then that’s fine.

But there’s guy like him that hit UFA for peanuts all the time. I’d be in no rush to give him 3 million or more. I’d much rather run Green-Hronek on our top 2 pairs next year as opposed to Green-Jensen.

I'd be fine with him getting something like ~$4M over 2 years (read: cap hit comes in around $2M per season) and really give him a lot of opportunity to play in those two seasons.

With Kronwall likely retiring this summer, guys like Ercisson, Daley, Green all being older (likely missing some time with injuries) and with expiring contracts the following year, it gives the team a little bit of stability in terms of middling aged pros.

If he does well he can earn another contract, if not trade him at some point for as good of a draft pick as we can get.

Hicketts, Sulak, Saarijarvi will have to beat him and guys like Ericsson and Daley out of jobs if they want to make the jump.

By the time Ericsson, Daley, and Green's contracts expire, the best of those three (Hicketts, Sulak, Saarijarvi) will probably have earned a spot. McIsaac will probably be battling for one by then.

Dekeyser, Cholowski, Hronek should all be locks for roster spots throughout the near future.

2019-20 D:

Cholowski - Green
Daley - Jensen
Dekeyser - Hronek
Ericsson

2020-21 D:

Cholowski - Hronek
Dekeyser - Jensen
McIsaac - Sulak ???

something like this is my idea. Offer a vet D a PTO in late August 2020 if McIsaac and Sulak/ Hicketts/ Saarijarvi/ whoever (Lindstrom?) don't look ready

Can we talk about how well Nick Jensen has been playing vs tough opponents? I personally think he’s been our best defender and second best dman to Green overall. I would like to resign him to a 3 year deal and I think he could get north of $3m

Its guys like Jensen tha get moved in rebuilds and add those extra picks that speed up a rebuild. I think hes playing really well but he absolutely should be traded. I think on a contender he plays on the bottom pair, not a guy Detroit needs to prioritise signing. They need as many lottery tickets in the draft as possible to acquire elite talent that actually moves the needle on the rebuild.

People talk about a team like Nashville being so great at drafting, butWeber was actually their third pick in the draft because they acquired the extra lottery tickets to get lucky on a guy like him. Josi was the same thing. Nobody talks about how bad Chet Pickard or Konstantin Glazachev are because Nashville had enough picks to compensate for some bad ones. Jensen is the type of player with solid value that can acquire those picks while hes never going to be a game breaker and might not be around when the wings are competitive again.

Its like this last draft for the wings. If Zadina busts but one of Veleno, Berggren or McIsaac turn into something special people will say it sucked but at least they got so and so later. Without acquiring picks its just a bust draft pick with no fall back plan. Need to move guys like Jensen and Nyquist if they can

Jensen is a guy you should look to deal. Not because he's bad or because he's awesome. He's just kinda there. If you could trust he's a #3D (you can't), you'd hang onto him. Right now, you look to deal him at the TDL if you can, because he's actually looking like an okay player. He's exactly at the place where Helm and Abby were before their contracts. At his current contract, he's got excess value. Pay him anything close to market value and he's got very little to no value.

Jensen is not a good player. He’s only on the team because Sproul, Oulette, Smith and Backman all busted.

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That's not true.

Jensen is actually an alright player. He's sticking and doing okay where Sproul, Ouellet, and Backman (didn't he get traded before he even played?) sucked. Smith got dealt because he was in the same boat as Jensen. Too good to be a complete bust, but not good enough to be able to rely on.

Nick Jensen is nothing more than a 6th defenceman who skates well. On most teams he wouldn't even be in the top 6-8 dmen. He has been better than last year, but lets pump the brakes on him getting 3+ million dollars. I wouldn't give him more than 1.5 on a 2 year deal, and am perfectly fine if he is gone next year.

I'd be fine with him getting something like ~$4M over 2 years (read: cap hit comes in around $2M per season) and really give him a lot of opportunity to play in those two seasons.

With Kronwall likely retiring this summer, guys like Ericsson, Daley, Green all being older (likely missing some time with injuries) and with expiring contracts the following year, it gives the team a little bit of stability in terms of middling aged pros.

If he does well he can earn another contract, if not trade him at some point for as good of a draft pick as we can get.

Hicketts, Sulak, Saarijarvi will have to beat him and guys like Ericsson and Daley out of jobs if they want to make the jump.

By the time Ericsson, Daley, and Green's contracts expire, the best of those three (Hicketts, Sulak, Saarijarvi) will probably have earned a spot. McIsaac will probably be battling for one by then.

Dekeyser, Cholowski, Hronek should all be locks for roster spots throughout the near future.

2019-20 D:

Cholowski - Green
Daley - Jensen
Dekeyser - Hronek
Ericsson

2020-21 D:

Cholowski - Hronek
Dekeyser - Jensen
McIsaac - Sulak ???

something like this is my idea. Offer a vet D a PTO in late August 2020 if McIsaac and Sulak/ Hicketts/ Saarijarvi/ whoever (Lindstrom?) don't look ready

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The only thing Dekeyser should be a lock for, is a ticket out of town!

Trade him @ TDL for a 3rd (or better if possible) regardless. Only way I'd resign him in JULY is if:

1. Daley is traded this TDL (very likely)
2. Kronner retires (99.9% likely)
3. Saarijarvi and/or Sulak don't look ready to come up & hold down a #6 spot...or rotate them with #7 Witkowski til they do (this season only)... 50/50%
4. We don't acquire a Top 4 D man by TDL (somehow), or a good D prospect that'll be a ready for Top 4 (#4/#5 slot) by '19-'20. (neither seem likely)
5. We strike out if FA in July/Aug & Big E LTIRetires this summer
6. IF ALL above scenarios happen, then sign Jensen 2yrs @ ~$1.5M...not a penny over $2M Kenny!!